G-FORCE 2011 Melbourne Conference

EMG managed the Australasian element of the Global Event Schedule: Prague, Czech Republic - Dallas, USA - Melbourne, Australia.

EMG was employed to manage and tailor the Melbourne leg of the Genesys conference to the Australian market. This required tailoring three main areas of the conference - localising the event including its branding and perception, content and delivery and entertainment. Read on to discover our responses to the challenges we were faced with as well as imagery and video from the event.

VISION AND BRANDING

Localising the Event

Challenges

EMG was required to adapt the brand pack to the Asia Pacific event as learnings and tone of delivery from the previous events were not appropriate for the Australia/Asia Pacific market.
An all important video onscreen opener needed to be used to deliver the event message, however the onscreen design provided was for specific venues and needed to be rebuilt.
Strict protocols and guidelines were required to be adhered to.
Halfway through pre-production, a new major alliance was formed requiring rebranding across all platforms.

Response

EMG used its creative team to construct relatability into the Australian event by:

Looking at every element, pulling it apart, analysing it for appropriate content and delivery to the Australia/Asia Pacific market
Changing messaging and music format for the opening onscreen to be more relevant
Redesigning colour elements of the branding to ensure best outcomes
Creating branding synergies to achieve a balanced perception by slightly redesigning all branding elements of the event to bring it closer to the Australian market.

Key Branding Message

From the meet and greet registration desk to the sponsor branded main entrance, the event message slowly but surely trickled through the event space to be received by the delegates.

G-Force 2011 Melbourne Wrap from Event Management Group on Vimeo.

Registration Desk

Utilising a combination of text with visual affiliation, the registration desk created a clear event message.

Entrance Feature

The balance of sponsor logos and branding was imperative at the main entrance point.

CONTENT AND DELIVERY

Painting a Picture of the Event Message

Exhibition Area

Part of EMG's role was to design the event exhibition space. EMG drew on the inspiration of the event message 'Change the Conversation' to achieve this. This included:

Focus on the exhibition not being a simple sales convention but a conversation space with plenty of human interaction
Spaces such as the conversation lounge created to allow the host to have area to hold conversation.
The entire space was based around the idea of a retail space. Stores around the outside, with casual, lounge style seating and spaces moving in towards to the middle to enhance conversation opportunities.
Furniture concepts and colours within the Interaction Pavilion and Conversation Lounges were chosen from specific colour brackets to ensure they didn't clash with major sponsor stands.
The hosts stand was designed as the draw card within the exhibition. Multiple heavily branded entrance points drew the delegates into the space. Four suspended plasma screens hung in the air from air truss with lighting, highlighting the concept and creating a "Must See" feel to the stand.

Interaction Pavillion

Conversation Lounge

Genesys Stand

Twitter Booth

Challenges

To integrate twitter real time feedback into the event to gather feedback on sessions, gala and exhibition.
Valuable tool post event to track success of key elements how would we ensure everyone knew how to use it and what the expectations were?
Real time tool, could we control, should we control and how could we do this in a positive way?

Response

EMG created a Twitter booth within the exhibition area to educate the delegates on social media trends and enable them to be involved in live to screen tweets throughout the conference.
Ensured rehearsals for every presenter included testing of hash tags to minimise challenges.

Plenery Room

Onscreen animation created utilising the Conversation Bubble with visual and text components.
The large screen was broken into four elements. Two branded events logos screens and two PowerPoint screens.
The technology allowed for layered projection images.
Title slides could be "flown" into the event bubble, power point presentations, live to camera action and DVD embedded vision was all produced.
Translator Services
With a small Japanese contingent at the event, EMG arranges Translator Services delivered via Infrared head sets and a wireless vision to audio feed

ENTERTAINMENT

Gala Spectacular

Challenges

The entertainment aspect of an event has an enormous impact on the overall event success rate
Anticipation must be built throughout the event to create a buzz
The demographics of the audience must be taken into account when delivering the creative
Guests shifting exposure to social media outlets heightens expectations
The Gala is built over the top of the exhibition and plenary space and turn around overnight.

Response

EMG delivered an interactive, fun, iconic 80's night
We introduced an element of surprise by having onscreen's display the question "Who will be the entertainment at tonights event?"
Pre Dinner included an interactive 80's themed sideshow alley incorporating, arcade games, skill testers, dance game, green screen for photo opportunities, fake tattooist and makeup artist fortune tellers
The sideshow continued throughout the evening for those guests who didn't particularly want to dance.
Upon walk in guests were greeted in The Gala Room with table centres filled with 80 paraphernalia, hats, wigs, glasses, glo sticks, and gloves. Once everyone was "dressed" it was time to party.
Booked the humorous Shane Jacobsen as MC
Invited The Phil Cebrano band, Scott Carne from Kids in the Kitchen and Dale Ryder from Boom Crash Opera to set the scene. Much work went into designing set lists with iconic pieces of 80's music suited to the audience.
Allowed the Audience to travel with the show using twitter throughout the night
Kept the element of surprise - at one point the room fell to black and filled with dry ice. A spotlight emerged and there stood "Michael Jackson" ready to teach the guests the Thriller dance. Four volunteers from the crowd joined him on stage and played the part of back up dancers.
Adding to the element of surprise surrounding the event, we booked the Diva of Soul Marcia Hines. The audience traveled with her through a journey of iconic hits. The guests tweeted their excitement from the dancefloor "OMG the Diva of Soul is on stage at G-Force"!